Killua made himself comfortable in his sleeping bag. He had to admit, he sure was missing the luxurious beds of the Neko-Village right about now. Although, there was nothing he'd trade sleeping by a campfire next to Gon for.

The two of them were about to make it out of the mountain range! All they had to do was finish crossing this icy plateau. They had stopped for the night, and now lay on the icey expanse under the light of the stars. The campfire was warm at his side, and Gon was squirming in his own sleeping bag beside him.

But Killua had to admit, it was much colder on this plateau then it had been anywhere else in the world he had visited ever.

He felt like the cold was entering his very bones, even being tucked inside his insulated sleeping bag, being pressed up next to Gon's warm sleeping bag, and lying right next to the large fire was not enough to keep him from shivering.

Gon finally settled down, Killua could tell because of his sigh.

He was like a damned dog, turning in circles a hundred times before finally laying down with a contented sigh. Killua, on the other hand, needed only to curl up into a ball. Like a cat. He struggled to find sleep, though. It was so fucking cold.

"Hey Killua?" Gon asked all of a sudden. Usually he would be asleep right now.

"Yeah?"

"Can I sleep in your sleeping bag with you?"

Killua's brain short circuited, short circuited enough that pain shot through his head from the barrier.

"W-why?"

"It's super cold! It'll be much warmer in there with you!"

Oh. Yeah, of course! See? I knew there would be a logical reason! Now stop blushing like that you total idiot!

"That's fine," Killua answered.

"Yay!" Gon cheered, before shimmying out of his sleeping bag and leaning over towards Killua's. The silver haired boy blushed as he saw Gon's muscular form - wearing nothing more than his undershorts - framed by the snow and the orange light of the fire. It made him all too aware that he was only wearing his undershorts as well.

It was because of the sleeping bags.

The Neko-Girls had given them to the two of them.

They worked by feeding off of one's body heat and amplifying it, however one had to wear as little clothing as possible when utilizing that ability because layers of fabric prevented the sleeping bag from working effectively.

See?! There's a perfectly normal reason why we're wearing next to nothing! Stop blushing, for gods' sake! And STOP looking at his abs!

Killua shivered as he pushed at the wall of the sleeping bag, opening it up and letting in a whoosh of frigid air. Gon slipped inside like a fish into water, a grin on his face. Killua quickly zipped the sleeping bag up around their heads, baring all light so that Gon wouldn't be able to see his flushed face.

Why am I such a mess?

The two of them squirmed around. They were used to sleeping all up next to each other, just not in a sleeping bag designed for one person. Killua had to admit though… shoving the both of them into the one bag really did make it a whole lot warmer. Not uncomfortably hot, but the perfect temperature.

The silver haired mercenary gritted his teeth and ordered the heat to leave his chest as Gon settled down behind him. They were both laying on their left sides, with Gon now spooned up against Killua. The hybrid wrapped his arms around Killua's chest, and tangled their legs together. The Valkyrie timidly wrapped his tail around Gon's waist, glad for the warmth. Gon tucked his chin up over Killua's head, and sighed, signaling that he had gotten comfortable.

Their skin was touching in so many different places. Killua willed himself to calm down, yelling at himself in his head, ordering his heart to stop racing and his face to stop blushing and his stomach to stop flipping. And most of all, for his chest to stop feeling so bubbly. Not knowing what all these feelings even meant made it so much worse.

"Killua," Gon murmured directly into the silver harried boy's ear, sending a shiver down his spine. "I really missed sleeping next to you like this."

The Valkyrie's face was on FIRE now, he was surprised the temperature in the bag didn't shoot up several degrees because of the heat in his face. "You-you and saying these things!" Killua choked out.

Gon chuckled softly.

Warmth pooled lower in Killua's stomach as that gentle breath tickled the shell of his ear.

"Killua. Thanks a lot."

"For what?" the boy in question breathed.

"For being here with me, and for helping me on this journey to find Ging. And also for… staying with me instead of back there in the Neko-Village with Circe."

"What? Why would I stay back there with all those hags? I'm sticking with you. No matter what," his voice got all soft in the end, and Killua wasn't able to prevent that warm feeling from seeping into his words.

He practically smelled Gon's angelic smile.

The other boy tightened his grip on Killua, and snuggled in closer. A purr started low in his chest, then rose up, gathering volume, until it surrounded Killua in a cocoon of white noise. The Valkyrie's face burned, and his breathing picked up speed. The feeling in his chest heaved, and a wave of that unknown emotion crashed over his head like a tsunami.

He's this comfortable, comfortable enough to purr like this, just because of me.

Killua bunched his hand against his chest, feeling his racing heartbeat. The feeling pulsated like a radio signal, and waves of pain accompanied it like a dark countermelody. Each pulse of the feeling made the crack in the barrier grow.

It's getting stronger. Whatever this is, the wall won't be able to hold it for long.

Gon's breathing evened out, he was asleep. He continued purring, though. Killua was glad, he loved that purr. It made him feel so relaxed… and he was so incredibly touched by it.

Gon… you're wrong. I'm the one… who should be thanking you.

The silver haired boy drifted off to sleep, for the first time in days being swept under by that deep rest that accompanied falling out of consciousness at Gon's side.

In a scrappy mountain town (if it could even be called that) for the first time in 8 years a Neko-Girl appeared. Her silky hair and soft skin glowed in the torchlight, and her tight and layered insulated armor was sparkling new. Two spears were crossed against her back, she was the picture of feline grace.

Her tail swished behind her, and her ears flicked and rotated, taking every little sound.

She drew many gazes from the inhabitants of the tavern, all eyes were on her.

As well as all ears.

Dozens of unsatisfactory characters listened in as she fell into a comfortable conversation with the barkeep. The Neko-Village had been trapped in a state of isolation after a serpent disaster. For eight years their numbers had dwindled and they had sunken closer and closer to the point of no return.

But seventeen - almost eighteen - days ago, two travelers had arrived in their village and over the course of about two weeks had solved eight years' worth of problems. The Neko-Village was free once again.

All thanks to a mysterious hybrid and a runaway Dragonite Valkyrie Prince.

A shadowy figure with waist length black hair swirled his drink in its glass.

"A runaway Dragonite Valkyrie Prince?" he murmured. "Interesting. Very interesting…"